It is known in the field of mobile communication systems, including mobile communication networks and mobile devices, that mobile devices can enter a so-called sleep mode with a reduced power consumption. This enables a prolonged time of usage of the mobile device between two successive battery charging processes.
Especially during periods of low usage of the mobile communication network, the situation exists that base station entities are not used at all, i.e. in at least one network cell or some network cells of the typically cellular mobile communication network, there are no mobile devices present at all that request a communication service from the mobile communication network. It would be desirable to reduce the power consumption of especially those base stations or base station entities in periods of low usage of the mobile communication network. Presently, it is possible to monitor the network usage, e.g. by means of an operations and maintenance/management center (OMC) controlling the mobile communication network. In case that low network usage (or absence of network usage) is detected in one network cell or in a plurality of network cells, it would be possible to switch off at least partly the corresponding network equipment such as base station entities or other network components.
However, such a centrally managed approach in monitoring the network activity and controlling the powering (off and on) of the network equipment (e.g., by the operations and maintenance/management center) would normally lead to relatively long switching intervals or to a time lag especially with regard to the reactivation of the network components, i.e. after a period of reduced activity. Therefore, it is difficult or impossible to provide a dynamic reaction (i.e. a comparably quick change in the presence of network services after a period of (locally) reduced activity) to low usage situations of the mobile communication network. The existence of comparably long activation time constants for powering on network components to provide certain services of the mobile communication network either means that a powering off (during low usage situations) is not realized at all or that a powering off implies a reduction in the service level of the mobile communication network (e.g. such that only GERAN (Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM)/EDGE radio access network) functionalities are present and no (or only reduced) third (3G) or fourth (4G) generation services, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) or Long Term Evolution (LTE) services, are available during powering off periods due to the fact that locally 3G/4G network components and associated functionality is powered off). Especially, it is usually not possible to quickly activate a base station entity of a Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) network or of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network when a mobile device establishes a Packet Switched (PS) connection in a GERAN network in geographical vicinity.